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If you have a great topic that you would like to share with your colleagues, or if you are unsure of what you can write about, email Marketing Coordinator Jenna Bertini at jbertini@wocn.org and she will help get you started!

The Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society™ (WOCN®) set out to develop an evidence and consensus based algorithm in an effort to provide clinical guidance for selecting support surfaces based on individual patient needs. Published in the Journal of Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing (JWOCN), this new tool is the first evidence- and consensus-based algorithm for support surface selection that has undergone content validation.

Although a number of support surfaces have been shown to reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers or facilitate wound healing when compared to standard mattresses, there is insufficient evidence to guide support surface selection to match individual patient needs in many situations.

Three WOCN members with clinical expertise in pressure ulcer prevention and treatment were invited to act as a Task Force for generation and validation of a support surface algorithm. Together they identified search terms for a comprehensive literature search, reviewed the literature and identified key publications, categorized levels of evidence for the use of support surfaces for the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers, and formulated a draft algorithm. A consensus panel of 20 key opinion leaders then evaluated and modified the draft and evaluated its content validity.

Members can access the full the algorithm and accompanying JWOCN article here.

The development of the algorithm was funded in part by an unrestricted educational grant from Hill-Rom.

The Rutgers University School of Nursing Camden (SNC) is a part of one the largest research intensive universities in the nation which has the motto “Jersey Roots, Global Reach.” The School of Nursing Camden opened in 2010 and was built upon 30 years of baccalaureate nursing education as a Department of Nursing.

Rutgers School of Nursing Camden is preparing registered nurses for the future of health care by offering the Wound Ostomy Continence Nursing Education Program (WOCNEP) as a graduate level certificate in which participants learn about the theory and practices that promote and restore health for people with wounds or skin conditions, fecal or urinary diversions (ostomies), and continence problems. The course work of this program earns students graduate level credits that can be used to further their education beyond the certificate including the School’s Doctor of Nursing Practice Program. The onsite class meets once weekly in late afternoon and evening timeframe making for easy commuting and work schedule adaptation. Digital supports via the E-College learning platform permit 24-7 access to course materials. Clinical preceptorships are completed offsite near the student’s home with an appropriately credentialed preceptor.

To learn more about Rutgers, the School of Nursing or the WOC program, click here.

This week only (Tuesday, January 6 through Tuesday, January 13) all attendees will be able to register for the 2015 Conference at the 2014 early bird pricing!

Registration Type

2014 Early Bird Pricing
For ONE WEEK only
(January 6 - 13, 2015)

Early Bird Pricing
(January 14 - April 15, 2015)

After April 15, 2015
and On Site

Member

$400

$475

$525

Non-Member

$475

$625

$675

Student*

$250

$300

$350

Other information for you to know…

FULL-TIME STUDENT - NEW POLICY*Full-time students who are studying to become registered nurses (RN) or are in an accredited WOC Program can take advantage of the student fees. Students must show proof of student status (e.g., copy of current enrollment or letter from faculty advisor) with registration.

Renew your membership before registering! WOCN Members, please make sure that your membership is up to date before beginning the registration process. This will ensure that you receive the correct savings and have a smooth registration experience. Click here to update your membership now!

Take advantage of our GROUP discount!
Register one person at the full conference price and save 10% on up to 5 additional registrations! To take advantage of this group discount, enter your first registrant and select "Add Another Registrant" on Step 5. Continue registering each person in your group. When you reach the total number in your order, the discount will automatically be reflected for each registrant. Registrants added after you checkout will not be part of the same order and therefore are not eligible for the volume discount.
Group discount only valid through Monday, June 1, 2015.

The Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society™ (WOCN®) 47th Annual Conference promises to offer attendees a dynamic program aimed at providing evidence-based knowledge of the latest techniques, applications and treatments related to wound, ostomy and continence issues. The Opening Keynote Speaker, Terri Gaffney, MPA, RN, brings insight and knowledge related to her experience at the American Nurses Association.

Terri is the Senior Director for New Product Development at the American Nurses Association where she is responsible for translating knowledge into products. Among the products she oversees are continuing education, conferences, publications and digital media. Prior to joining the American Nurses Association, Terri was a Vice President of Nursing Communications & Initiatives at Gannett Healthcare Group, a multimedia information and education company. Terri has also served as the Executive Director of the American Academy of Nursing in Washington, DC.

Terri received her BSN from Virginia Commonwealth University and her MPA from Virginia Tech. She is currently a doctoral candidate at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. The title of her dissertation is Enhancing Patient Safety: Examining Factors Associated with Error Recovery by Medical Surgical Nurses.

Have you received the latest Fall issue of In It For You? If so, then you should have received your official Leave Your Mark Photo Contest vision board. Whether an educator, consultant, researcher, or administrator, each WOC nurse leaves their mark in a unique way. The WOCN Society would like our members to share how they leave their mark now, in 2015, and beyond!

Share how you are currently leaving your mark or plan to leave your mark on patients, their families, your colleagues, the WOC nursing specialty or the WOCN Society by writing on your vision board. If you choose to participate, snap a picture of you and your vision board and you will be entered to win a special prize and your photo(s) will be featured at the WOCN Society's 47th Annual Conference in San Antonio!

Please share as many photos as you would like but note that each person will be entered to win the contest only once. By entering photos into this contest you authorize the use of such photographic reproductions for any purposes including, but not limited to, educational and other public media as may be deemed appropriate by the WOCN Society.

*Only current members are eligible to win.

The winner will be announced on Facebook and Twitter the week of January 5, 2015 and will also be mentioned in the January edition of the WOCNow.

The Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society is accredited with distinction as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

The Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society is approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider Number CEP 15115.

PLEASE BE ADVISED: The names and contact information for all individuals listed on this site is privileged, confidential information and intended for specific purposes. No one (individual or company) may use any contact information on the WOCN Society website to contact, to distribute information to, or solicit anyone for any reason other than the intended purpose for which the name and contact information is available.